


Rain, Lions, and Signs

by OneFail_AtATime



Series: Arya x Gendry Week 2018 [3]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Major Character Injury, The Brotherhood - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-07-07 05:00:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15901377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneFail_AtATime/pseuds/OneFail_AtATime
Summary: All Arya wants to do is get to Riverrun.Except she wouldn't get what she wanted.It wasn't fair.





	Rain, Lions, and Signs

**Arya & Gendry Week – It’s a Sign**

 

Arya had begun to hate the rain.

The rain reminded her of starving nights in Flea Bottom, cold nights on the King’s Road, and terrifying nights in Harrenhal. She hated the drizzle that fell and clung to each surface, leaving a dampness in her clothes that she feared she would never be rid of. The Brotherhood had stopped to make camp early that evening on account of the rain and so she had yet another reason to hate it. They would never reach Riverrun at that pace.

The worries sunk into her soul and though she tried her best to ignore them, there was an uneasy feeling that she believed she would never shake.

It was a teasing chuckle which broke through her thoughts.

“Yous’ns have been awfully quiet. Both of yous.” Anguy broke in, grinning at where Arya and Gendry were unsaddling their horses.

“Maybe you should try it some time.” Arya snapped.

“Not bleeding likely.” Gendry grumbled, throwing an annoyed glare in the archer’s direction. Arya smiled appreciatively.

The two captives were silent for the rest of the evening and into the morning. Both understood the other’s need for quiet, even if the Brotherhood did not. And so it wasn’t until the next day, when they had all stopped to water the horses, when Gendry finally spoke. “There is somethin’ botherin’ you, isn’t there?”

“There’s not. Just tired.” Arya said stiffly as she led her mare to the stream, distancing herself from the men.

Gendry followed. “I know there is, Ary. Nearly two years running with you has taught me as much. If there’s something you don’t want to talk about, fine, but you know that I’ll listen.”

His words hit her like a punch to the gut. _Had it really been that long?_ She released a deep sigh, something she had been holding in for days. “We’re moving too slow, slower than we even were with Hot Pie. It’s not _fair_. We’re in the Riverlands. We could have reached my family by now. We could have been free. First the goldcloaks, then Harrenhal, now this?” Her voice caught and broke in her throat. “W-what if it’s a sign? What if I’m never meant to find my mother or brothers?”

His brow knotted together. She could see the concern in his eyes and it sent a rush through her, a familiar rush. It was the rush to hold him, to be held. He had been at her side, had been her friend from the time they had escaped King’s Landing and even when they had been held captive, she had still depended on him for comfort, though it had taken her time to admit it.

Her eyes met his and he took a step forwards, his startling blue gaze filled with concern as if processing what he wanted to say.

Except he didn’t get the chance.

“Lions! Riding from the east.” A voice called out, stirring the Brotherhood into action. Men unsheathed their swords and the archers drew arrows. Thoros came rushing towards them.

“You two, take yourselves deeper into the woods.” He gave Gendry a shove when they failed to move. “Do it. Now!”

Fuming, Arya allowed Gendry to pull her deeper into the woods that surrounded the stream. _This shouldn’t be happening. Gendry and I should be at Riverrun, not cowering in the woods._ “We could leave now. We’d be free of them.”

“You’re mental.” Gendry replied stubbornly. “How far would we get before someone took our unarmed selves hostage again? Really, you think-“

“Sh.” Arya hushed suddenly, the sound of breaking branches having caught her attention. The friends closed the distance between one another, gazes flickering back and forth to check for danger. Moments later, a man broke through the bushes, eyes wild and panting from fighting the Brotherhood’s men. When he caught sight of the two, a wide grin filled his harsh features.

“Well, what do we ‘ave ‘ere?” The man sneered as he moved closer, noting that the two were unarmed. There was something about his sneer that caught her focus. She had seen it before at Harrenhal when all the guards banded together to pick and choose women to torture. Then it was the way that Gendry reached down to wrap a protective hand around her wrist that told her he remembered the same. And the man before them only continued to sneer as he moved closer. “Looks like I found the treat shared by this group of ruffians.” He took another step forwards, only for Gendry to step in front of Arya. The action did not go unnoticed by the Lannister man. “Or is she just yours then? Cause you’re gonna ‘ave to share.”

“Run. Now.” Gendry spoke softly as he gave her arm one last squeeze.

“I’m not leaving you.” Arya’s refusal was harsh but she could still hear the fear in her own voice.

Gendry shoved her behind him with one hand. His blue gaze was locked with that of the Lannister soldier’s. “Do it. Just _go_.”

And so she ran.

She ran until the noise from beyond the stream was beyond her. But she didn’t run from fear. She ran because she knew that if she had stayed, Gendry would have done everything in his power to protect her and _he_ was unarmed as well.

But she couldn’t leave him behind. _He’s my friend._

And so she ran back.

The scene before her turned her stomach. The soldier, having realized Gendry was unarmed, hand taken to beating the armorer’s apprentice with his bare hands. The two were almost matched for size. Gendry stood a few inches taller and though he was broader, and stronger, than the guard, the man in Lannister red still wore a toughened leather that protected him from the boy’s punches. And now, the soldier had been joined by a second man and the two were _laughing_ as they took turns to beat and kick at her friend.

And so it didn’t matter to Arya that she was unarmed. She _knew_ that the man had hurt countless others before and now he was hurting her friend. He was hurting _Gendry._

She moved like lightning. _Swift as a deer. Quiet as a shadow._ Arya caught sight of a small, fallen branch. It was the size and shape of a long dagger. The perfect shape.

Arya launched herself onto the first man’s back, throwing her arms around his neck. One hand clung to his shoulder while the other came round, digging the sturdy piece of wood right through the soft tissue at the base of his throat. The man attempted to scream in pain, only to shake back and forth to throw Arya from his back. But she had already leaped down and moved to stand between Gendry and his second attacker.

“You little shit.” The unknown man cursed as he took a step forwards. Arya’s gaze flickered from his face to scan the surrounding area for any and all makeshift weapons.

Though, she wouldn’t need them. Another pair of men had come barreling through the trees and, for once, Arya was truly glad to see Anguy and Harwin. The archer had already drawn an arrow and with a glance in Arya and Gendry’s direction, let it loose to make its mark in the second attacker’s throat, who fell to the ground gurgling and clutching his wound. All ignored him as they turned to face the first attacker.

Anguy then looked from Gendry’s heavily beaten face to Arya’s bloodied hands, though her focus was now on Gendry. An anger flared in her, anger at being left behind. The boy was frowning at her, his one arm wrapped around his abdomen. His eyes met hers and he smiled weakly. “Ary.”

“Don’t you _dare._ ” She said with an accusatory growl that showed her for her true Stark heritage. “You thought you could just tell me to run? You stupid, stubborn, _sacrificial_ bull! We made a promise. Do you remember that? Do you remember Harrenhal? Neither of us leaves the other.”

Gendry’s eyes flared as he clenched and unclenched his fists in frustration. “Of course I remember Harrenhal. Do you? It’s my job to protect you, Arya. In case you didn’t notice, you’re without a sword.”

“We protect _each other_ , you bullheaded boy.” Arya moved towards him, clenching her fists as well. “Don’t you _dare_ do anything like that again, you stu-“ She stopped, her gray eyes wide as she watched the giant of a boy slump forwards to his knees and Arya cursed herself. The rain had disguised how severely the cut to his temple was bleeding and by the way he moaned and clutched at his abdomen as he rolled to the side, she was sure that there were a number of injuries beneath the skin. Panic burned through her. “Help him!”

The men rushed forwards and quickly lifted Gendry between them. It only took a few minutes for them to help into one of the supply carts but it had felt like an eternity, just as it felt like the ride to the village where the Brotherhood claimed to have _friends_ felt like an eternity. Arya sat beside Gendry, cradling his head in her lap as the cart jostled along the road as fast as the horses would allow and she attempted to discern which of his wound were the most severe.

_It wasn’t fair._

The Brotherhood had found a family willing to take Gendry in and Arya followed, ignoring everyone who told her to rest. All she cared about was her friend. He lay sweating and moaning in his unconscious state as the healer woman tended to his wounds. She claimed he would be out of danger once the sudden fever broke.

_It still wasn’t fair._

It was then that the dark thoughts began to tear at her hardened resolve.

_Maybe this is what the gods have planned for me. Maybe I should take this as a sign that anyone I grow close with will be ripped away._ Jon had been her closest brother and he had left for the Wall. Her father had been imprisoned and beheaded. And though she had never been close to Sansa, she had still been forced to leave her sister behind in her own attempt to escape King’s Landing.

_It couldn’t happen again._ “You can’t die.” She whispered, her stomach churning at the beads of sweat collecting on his brow. “Even if the gods mean for me to be alone, you still can’t die.”

It was a soft and strained chuckle from Gendry in his disoriented state that made her jump. “Well, I’m definitely alive now so I guess it’s a sign that you’re stuck with me, m’lady.”

**Author's Note:**

> Writing Brotherhood scenes for these two are a lot of fun because they were on the road for such a long time that you just have to wonder what happened to spur the 'I can be your family' comment. How did they go from being annoyed with one another to a teary eyed separation? So here's an option. 
> 
> As always, feedback is the best. I'm preparing for my first NaNoWriMo by trying to edit all that I had been able to write for AxG week. 
> 
> Enjoy!


End file.
